It's a Ghost Town

Ahh, Spring Break! A time for college students to forget all their cares and worries, and spend some time relaxing on a warm, sandy beach. Instructors, assignments, exams--all brushed aside as they unwind with their friends in a exotic tropical locale...except, that only happens in the movies, or if you paid the big bucks to go to a prestigious 4-year university.
The students at our community college have much more on their minds besides drinking contests and the limbo, and spring break for many of them is a break, of sorts, but not from their daily lives. Many of our students are parents, so time off from classes means a little less daycare, a little less hectic schedule, and maybe a little more sleep, since they aren't up until all hours of the night doing homework. For those students at our school who are still single or without children, it probably means that they get the chance to work a few more hours at their job, or they traveled to their homes to see their families. And, for some who are close to graduation in May, spring break gives them the chance to finalize their career plans with job interviews, or to visit schools that they may transfer to in the fall.
A few lucky students (and faculty) will take advantage of this carefree time and fly off to a balmy island or tourist town, and those of us left behind (ME) are just a tad jealous of their ability (and funds) to be able to do this. But, I would like to point out that those of us still here "holding down the fort" find this to be one of the most productive times in the semester. We are happy when the students return, even with their suntanned faces and newly cornrowed hair.
Spring break also means that the end of the semester is not far away, and for those who have procrastinated in their studies, it's only a short distance to the finish line...
So, to get back into the "real world" after spring break, here are some suggestions on how to make the rest of the semester a success!

• COMMUNICATION! Most of the problems we see come from a lack of communication, or miscommunication on assignments, due dates, or attendance. Instructors don't bite, so just ask!

• READ, READ, READ! Of course, read what you enjoy, but if you don't exactly look forward to reading those 58 pages of your text, break it into small chunks, highlight, take notes--do whatever strategies you can to make the material understandable. One tip that I often use for reading articles: at the bottom of the page, I write one sentence that has summarized the entire page. Then, as I go back through the reading, I just read those few sentences to refresh my memory. Try it...

• GO TO CLASS. Sounds relatively simple, right? Students are often dumbfounded when they get their final grades, and they don't seem to "add up." But, when you miss class, you miss the entire experience, including notes, conversation, assignments, lecture, quizzes, etc. Most instructors are understanding if you have a reasonable excuse--see #1

• USE RESOURCES. You didn't think that I would leave out the library, did you? Use all of the resources that are available, including the library, the learning center, STARS, your adviser, other students, or your instructors. If you don't succeed while you are here, we do feel somewhat responsible, but if you haven't taken the steps to find out what you need--it falls on you.

Whether you are reading this as you lay on your lounge chair, soaking up the sun and sipping on a smoothie--or if you are like me, looking out the window at the melting mounds of snow as the geese fly overhead, I hope you enjoying your break!

From the stacks,

Rhonda